Apparatus for connecting metal coating rolls with a driving mechanism



Dec. 1, 1953 M. E. BILLS 2,660,979

APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING METAL COATING ROLLS WITH A DRIVING MECHANISM Fie Nov. 26, 1952 j Fs I I 'I Q w I, ia

lwenm Patenteci Dec. 1, 1953 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING METAL 'COATING ROLLS WITH A DRIVING MECHANISM Max E. Bills, Gary, Ind., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 26, 1952, Serial No. 3223766 y 3 Clams. 1

The present invention relates generally to continnous metal coating apparatus of the'type Wherein metallic sheets or strip are passed through a tank containing a molten coating metal such as Zinc or tin. The invention relates particularly to the elements of such apparatus used for rotating the coating rolls thereof.

The coating rolls used in conventional metal coating Operations, such as continuous hot dip galvanizing, operate almost completely submerged in the moiten spelter. These rolls ,are ordinarily driven by a driving mechanism, such as a reduction gear unit and motor, located cutside of the tank and at a higher elevation than the rolls. j Prior to my invention, the driving force was transierred from the driving mechanism to the rolls by means of a set of metal gears. The gears, which were disposed on the shait extensions of the coating rolls, were necessarily partly Submerged in the molten spelter and partly exposed to atmosphere. The rotative action of the coating roll gears during operation of the galvanizing apparatus created a "paddle-wheel" effect on the molten spelter. The; churning action of the gears in the spelter caused excessive amounts of molten zi'nc to be exposed to the atmosphere and become oxidized.- Oxidation of the Zinc resulted in the formation of an eXcessive amount of undesirable "dross" which floated on the upper surface of the spelter ancl had to be skimmed oif at frequent intervals. This necessitated frequent additionsof fresh spelter to replace that lost through oxidation. Thus, the agitation oi the molten spelter by the gears directly caused delays in operation and consequentiy increased production costs.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide metal coating apparatus wherein the coating roll and driving mechanism are joined by means of a. direct shaft connection whereby the roll is rotated within the coating medium with a minimum amount of agitation of the medium.

This and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawing, in which:

Figura 1 is a plan View showing the apparatus of my invention in use connecting the coating rolls of a galvanizing unit to a driving gear box;

Figura 2 is an end elevation partly in section of Figure 1;

Figura 3 is an enlarged detail View partly in section of the roll connection of my invention;

Figur-e 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV--IV of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional View of a modification of the apparatus of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 indicates a spelter tank of a continuous hot dip galvanizing line containing molten spelter X. A pair of coating rolls d are rotatably mounted in the tank in conventional manner submerged to approximately their axial centerlines. Driving means, which may consist of a motor 6, speed reduced 8 and gear box iii, may be disposed on a platform 12 adjacent the tank 2 at a slightly higher elevation than the rolls a. The apparatus thus far described is conventional and is not claimed as my invention.

Reference numeral i& indicates spindles which provide a direct shaft connection from gear unit :e to each of the rolls 4. At one end iii, each of the spindles is inserted and locked in a sleeve !8 which in turn is pivotally connected With a drive shaft of the gear unit !il by any suitable means such as a universal joint 28. The pivotal connection of the sleeve !8 permits limited movement of each of the spindles l in a vertical plane. V

The end of each of the spndles i i remote from the driving means is formed in the shape of a ball 22 having a transverse center hole 26 therethrough. A pin 25 having spherical ends 28 is inserted in the hole 25. As shown in Figure 4, the pin 25 is of sufiicient length so that its ends project outwardly of the hole 24.

V Each of the rolls is provided with integral shaft or neck portions 38 and 32 projecting from the ends thereof. The shaft ends 32 are journaled in conventional bearings 34 supported in the tank 2. Each of the shaft ends Sii is provided with a counterbore 35 for the purpose of receiving the ball end 22 of the spindle i i as will be more fully described hereinaiter. The counterbores 35 may be each fitted with a split ring liner sleeve 38 made up of a pair of split ring sections aa. The sections iii may be fastened in the counterbores by means of rivets or by Welding so that their relative positions will not change after installation. The sections of each split liner are shaped to conform to the inner curvature of the counterbore and are spaced apart so that their opposed edges define a pair of opposed longitudinal slots !32 parallel to the axis of the respective coating roll. The ball ends 22 are each dimensioned to fit snugly within the counterbores 35 with the projecting end of the pins 25 engaged in the slots 42. The pin 26 extends from both sides of the ball 22 a distance equal to the thickness of the split liner ends of the pin 25 are engaged in the slots 42. i

The opposite end of each spindle is fitted into a sleeve !B and the sleeve is connected with the gear box i@ in the manner described above. Since the coating rolls and the power delivering spindles are in substantially. fixed positions longitudinally, it is unnecessary to provide any means to prevent the balls from coming out of the counter-heres during operation.

In operation, there is a complete absence of any "paddle-wheel effect during rotation of the coating rolls. The direct shaft connection between each of the coating rolls and the driving means results in a minimum amount of agitation of the molten spelter during operation.

Although I have found it preferable to insert a split sleeve lining in the counterbored ends of the roll shafts and a pair of opposed longitudinal siots defined by the edges of the split sections, it will be noted that the sleeve may be omitted entirely and slots 42' formed in the inner walls of the counterbores, as shown in Figure 5, or a been shown and described, it will be apparent j that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a continuous metal coating apparatus includng a tank for containing molten coating metal, a coating roll rotatably mounted in said tenk, and driving means disposed adjacent said for rotating said roll, the improvement therewith of a fiexible connection between said driving means and said roli, said flexible connection comprising a shaft projectng axially from one end of said roll, the outer end of said shaft being counterbored, said shaft having a longitudinal slot in the inner side wall of its counterbore, a spindle pivotally attached at one end to said driving means, a ball on the opposite end of said spindle integral therewith, a pin projecting from the surface of said ball normal to the longitudinal axis of said spindle, said ball being fitted snugly in the counterbored end of said shaft with said pin fitted in said slot.

2. In a continuous metal coating apparatus including a tank for containing molten coating metal, a coating roll rotatably mounted in said tank, and driving means disposed adjacent said tank for rotating said roll, the improvement therewith of a exible connection between said driving means and said roll, said exible connection comprsing a shaft projecting axially from one end of said roll, the outer end of said shaft being counterbored, a lining sleeve rigidly fitted in said counterbore, said sleeve having a longitudinal slot in the inner wall thereof, a spindle pvotally attached at one end to said driving means, the opposite end of said spindle being shaped in the form of a ball, a pin projecting from the surface of said ball normal to the longitudnal axis of said spindle, said ball being fitted in said sleeve with said pin fitted in said slot.

3. In a continuous metal coating apparatus including a tank for containing molten coating metal,- a coating roll rotatably mounted in said tank, and driving means disposed adjacent said tank for rotating said roll, the improvement therewith of a flexible connection between said driving means and said roll, said fiexible connection comprising a shaft projecting axially from one end of said roll, the outer end of said shaft being counterbored, a lining sleeve rigidly fitted in said counterbore, said sleeve consisting of a pair of split rings, the opposed ends of said rings defining a pair of opposed longitudinal Slots, a spindle pivotally attached at one end to said driving means, the opposite end of said spindle being :formed in the shape of a ball having a hole therethrough transverse to the longitudinal axis of said spindle, a pin inserted in said hole with its ends projecting outwardly therefrom, the ball end of said spindle being fitted snugly in said sleeve with the projecting ends of said pin fitted in said Slots.

MAX E. BILLS.

No references cited. 

